Fuelling tension in the West, a report has claimed that Russian bombers armed with nuclear warheads entered the European Union air space earlier this month, before being chased out by fighter jets.
This comes amid Moscow’s war with Ukraine. Swedish media reports said four of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warplanes “swooped in over the Baltic towards the island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea.”
Reports mentioned the formation included two Sukhoi Su-24 bombers and two Sukhoi SU-27 fighters.
Reports also said, quoting sources, that the move was “a deliberate attempt to intimidate Sweden”.
Swedish JAS 39 Gripen jets were sent to intercept the planes – and they were in their airspace for around one minute.
Stockholm confirmed the interception earlier this month, but reports about the jets being armed with nuclear warheads have only emerged now.